The Great Mexican Frontier – Chamela Bay, Mexico

Travel south to the Mexican state of Jalisco and you will find a true slice of paradise. Located on a pristine stretch of the Costalegre coastline, Bahia de Chamela or Chamela Bay is a 2.5-hour and 1.5-hour drive, from both the Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo airports. Widely recognized as one of the most bio-diverse and environmentally sensitive areas in North America, Chamela Bay is home to hundreds of species of flora and fauna on land and in the sea. Both land and sea remain untouched by the masses as does the immense land that lies beside the magical Bay. Check out the full story in our Spring issue!

FEATURED PROPERTY – LAS ROSADAS

Las Rosadas, a newly unveiled 420-acre private property, runs along 1.25 miles of pristine beachfront coastline deep within Chamela Bay. Owners Tom and Kiki Miller of San Francisco, are carefully developing their idyllic real estate vision with an environmentally sustainable infrastructure in place.

Guest quarters at Las Rosadas.

No stranger to the complicated real estate world, Tom, CEO of Costa Chamela Corp. and CEO and founder of The Miller Law Firm, has been a distinguished construction litigation attorney for 40 years. In 2005, the Mexican government awarded the property to the family and in just five years, the government granted environmental approval for the first new project in Chamela Bay in decades. Las Rosadas houses a recognized sea turtle sanctuary for eggs and hatchlings, maintains a nursery of local plants and trees for reforesting programs and has set aside a protected space for the threatened iguanas that inhabit Western Mexico.

The private beach houses many community areas.

The Millers live part-time in Paloma Blanca, the only residence currently on the property. Designed by architects Juan Diego Perez-Vargas and Rafael Sevilla of San Francisco, each room in the 6-bedroom residence has wall-to-wall open-air views of the bay. Kiki, whose passion for design is wildly evident, enlisted designer Katherine Nidermaier to design around their vast collection of art from Mexican and Latin American artists. The collection extends beyond Paloma Blanca’s wall and onto the beach areas, with a Botero sculpture at the opening of “Tequila Cave” and a Vladimir Cora isolated on a cliff overlooking the bay.

Internal view of a Botero sculpture and The Four Vessels by Fancisco Quiroz.

The estate will offer 33 lots in varying sizes available for purchase (only select properties are currently for sale). Residents will have access to a broad range of exclusive amenities and experiences, including transportation, housekeeping, maintenance, shopping, spa treatments, water activities and dining led by a seasoned staff.

One of the many seating areas at Paloma Blanca designed by SF architect Juan Diego Perez-Vargas.

“WE’RE HOPING TO SHARE THE PROPERTY WITH ACTIVE LIKEMINDED PEOPLE AND FAMILIES THAT CARE ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT, LOVE THE OCEAN, AND APPRECIATE AUTHENTIC UNDERSTATED LUXURY… ” – Tom and Kiki Miller

A view from Tom Miller’s office full of hand-crafted art, sculpture, and textiles from local Mexican artisans.

The Millers have been collecting for over 20 years and believe in preserving true Mexican artisan cultural traditions.

MUST SEE IN MEXICO

MUST-SEES

• Picnic on Cocina Island

• Paddle boarding off the point of Las Rosadas

• Snorkeling in the bay

• Presa Cajon de Penas for fresh langostinos

• Golfing by the ocean at El Tamarindo Beach

RESTAURANTS

• La Viuda

• Sirenita’s, for whole red snapper

• La Coscolina

LOCAL SHOPPING

• Authentic leather goods in Tomatlan, including

hats and boots

• Tlaquepaque Mexican artifacts from Barra de Navidad

• La Coscolina for finding South American artifacts

Must See In Mexico

Tom and Kiki Miller

DESIGN INSIDERS: TOM & KIKI MILLER

Tom and Kiki Miller gave us insider insight on their passion for the Chamela Bay region and the hidden gems they hold close.

Why did you choose the Chamela Bay region?

The magical Chamela Bay, overlooking the protected islands, is tranquil and unspoiled, with white sandy swimmable beaches and breathtaking vistas of the Pacific Ocean.

What are your collective goals for the development?

We’re hoping to share the property with active likeminded people and families that care about the environment, love the ocean, appreciate authentic understated luxury, and who will respect what the land has to offer.

We greatly appreciate your work to protect and cultivate the natural environment. How do you plan to accomplish this as you further develop the property?

We developed Las Rosadas under a strict set of regulations that will foster the environment, encourage the preservation of the destination’s history, ecosystem and beauty while providing sanctuaries for indigenous plants and animals. We will install composting and recycling programs managed with local partners, and all travel throughout the property will be by electric vehicle, bike or foot.

How did you choose the architects and will you continue the relationship?

We worked with San Francisco-based architect Juan Diego Perez-Vargas, whose family is from Guadalajara. After migrating to the Bay Area, he joined one of the best design houses in San Francisco and now has his own design firm. He understands our passion for the Spanish-Hacienda revival integrated with environmental details. We also worked with a second architect, Rafael Sevilla, during the construction phase of Paloma Blanca to insure architectural details were followed correctly. We plan to work with them to further develop the Spanish revival theme and incorporate the same level of quality and design in future Las Rosadas properties.

Can you speak about your art collection, which shows your appreciation for local artists?

We have been collecting this art over 20 years during our travels throughout Mexico, Latin America and beyond. Our most coveted pieces are The Four Vessels by Francisco Quiroz, the two oil paintings of Alejandro Santiago and the Sergio Hernandez sculpture, Musico de Ayamonte.